Asian Elephants: FREE CONTACT TRAINING OF ANNIE at Milwaukee Zoo (1989)

Asian elephant Annie, and her close companion Tamara, shared an elephant barn/enclosure at the Milwaukee Zoo until 1994, when videotaped recordings of cruel beatings and abusive training elicited public demands that the two elephants be sent to the PAWS sanctuary. Today Annie (Tamara died in 2002) spends her days roaming and grazing among the trees, swimming in the lake, dusting and mud-bathing before lying down to sleep on a sunny hillside.

The archaic management of elephants by zoos that have been using the Free Contact system, has been the focus of controversy between AZA and animal welfare organizations, as well as many zoo professionals who advocate the use of Protected Contact management, a safer and kinder approach to elephant management.

Free Contact allows elephant keepers and handlers to share the same space with the elephant while using the cruel weapon known as the bullhook, the ankus, or the "guide", to control the animal and to protect the handler. This system has caused injury and death to keepers and considerable suffering to elephants. Protected Contact requires that keepers work with the animal behind barriers and eliminates the use of any weapon or punishment for the elephant. It is a system that ensures the safety of the keeper and the welfare and comfort of the elephant.

In August of this year, The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) board of directors has approved new standards that will maximize occupational safety of elephant care professionals at AZA-accredited and AZA-certified facilities. The recent release of this new policy by AZA is a giant first step toward maximizing the physical and psychological health of the elephants as well.

The Elephant Manager's Association opposes these new standards. In a recent statement, EMA wrote: "It is the opinion of the EMA that evaluations and decisions of this sort are best made by elephant care professionals intimately involved in the program as opposed to policy makers that casually observe from a distance."

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• asian elephant
• elephant training
• elephant abuse
• elephant sanctuary
• ark 2000
• elephant sex
• milwaukee zoo
• pat derby
• abusive training
• annie the elephant
• elephant rescue
• animals
• wild animal
• elephant
• amboseli
• kenya
• kenyan elephant
• safari

[HereIsMyTake911]

Ha ??? Are we watching the same video ?

I see no abuse here myself . We train horses more hands on then this !!

Just because an elephant is over 2tons - pulling it into position with robes ( usually padded) is abused ? Please !!

Also might I add - that most AZA org are actually kicking themselves for changing over to Protected Contact Mgm.

It is NOT always the best - it depends on the elephant. Also I hate to tell u that most if not all these "" sanctuary " elephants have been trained in

[ChimpChop]

I've worked alongside elephant trainers and in my experience,the world of elephant training is dominated by people who enjoy subduing and torturing elephants,which is why it so important to keep them out of captivity in any circumstance,[with the exception of those who cannot be released to the wild].Please support PAWS!

[kierabops]

What the F is wrong with these people man. Where is the respect and concern for the animals. Annie is free from this and now living the good life at PAWS!

[wirramirra26]

What the heck was the point of doing that to the elephant? Sick people who would treat an animal like that!

[carlyhaggett]

Please tell me this animal is no longer in custody. Freaking Animals....not her those dumb asses pulling on her. Makes me want to punch them all in the ear!

[carlyhaggett]

WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What the hell is wrong with the way some of our human brains work! We should be killed!

[11301920]

This video just plain pisses me off. These people have no business do anything with animals. Thank god she is in a safe place now but will she ever recover from the abuse in her lifetime, how sad.

[Emmalou6103]

I saw Annie a couple of months ago at PAWS. I asked why she was rocking back & forth and why she would put her front foot out and then back again & again. I was told that she rocks from the stress of being beaten. She puts her front foot out and back again because when she was chained up that is the only movement she could make. She has been at PAWS for years and she was so traumatized that she STILL does it. This video breaks my heart. Thank you PAWS for saving this beautiful elephant.

[janetlw]

Totally heartless. What kind of human could even participate in this horrible training of one of the most magnificent animals? SHAME ON YOU!! ALL OF YOU!! God forbid, lets hope the woman heard in the back ground has no children. But, most of all, we all need to thank the Paws Sanctuary. They have saved many elephants from even more torture.

[equarg]

I saw one system where with younger elephants there was only one person, a simple rope and pulley system, and all the person would do and command to lay down..slowly bring the elephant to the ground. Yes it was scared..but no bull hooks. Next to it would be another young elephant that knew what was going on and was calm. Once the scared elephant was on the ground he would pet it, calm it down, release the pulley, and let it up commanding UP.

At least that way had no bull hooks!